"Helps by the Way.  No.  4.  The Greek Prepositions."  by Charles H. 
Welch in The Berean Expositor


The readers of this page are reminded that we are not attempting to
teach Greek.  All that we can hope to do is to point out some of the
more obvious things, leaving the deeper study for those who may feel
inclined to take up this extremely valuable subject for themselves. 
Last time we touched upon the preposition anti. Another preposition
which will repay careful study is apo.


Apo is followed by what is called the Genitive case, the case which
speaks of origin, often represented in English by the insertion of the
word "of" or "from."  Its Latin equivalent ab, abs forms a part of many
English words.  The first meaning, implying motion, is from, away from,
down from.  The second meaning, where motion is not so emphatic, far
from, at a distance from.


A meaning yet more remote passes from the primary idea of movement to
that of time, and then is represented by from, after or since. Let us
see something of its meaning by turning to the writings of the New
Testament.  Literal removal is plainly seen in Matt. xxviii.2 and Luke
xxiv.2, "rolled away"; Matt. vii.23, " depart from Me."  In these
passages it will be observed that the preposition apo occurs in
combination with the verb, as well as being used by itself.  This usage
lends emphasis to the teaching of Col. ii.20, where the verb "to die"
is not thnesko, but apothnesko, and so makes the complete separation
from the old order of things the more marked.


It will be remembered that there is an important distinction to be
observed between the doctrine of the "peace of God," and "peace with
God."  In Rom. i.7 we have yet another aspect of peace, namely, "peace
from (apo) God."  Here apo indicates the origin from which this
blessing flows.  Peace comes from God, He is its efficient Cause.  The
familiar word "apostle" is taken straight from the Greek.  It means
"one sent from another."  Christ Himself is spoken of as "the Apostle,"
the sent One, in Heb. iii.1, and this claim is emphasized in the Gospel
of John.  No apostle was ever made by man, his title declared that he
had been sent by the Lord Himself.  So called "apostolic succession" is
fittingly connected with the "imposition of hands."


Turning again to the usage of apo we find the transition from the idea
of place to that of time in such an expression as "from a child," that
is, "ever since" you were a child (2 Tim. iii.15). This note of time
occurs in that important passage, Eph. iii., where the apostle claims
the exclusive stewardship of the present dispensation.  In verse 9 he
refers to that remote period "before the age times," using apo with the
meaning of "since."  "And to enlighten all (as to) what (is) the
dispensation of the mystery, which hath been hidden away (apokrupto)
since the ages (apo ton aionion) by the God Who created all things." 
J. N. Darby says, "'from the ages,' but in the sense of 'the period
lapsed' not 'hidden from them.'"  The preposition here tells us that
since the ages the mystery had been hidden away by God, and was not
made known until revealed to the apostle of the Gentiles.  Col. i.26 is
a parallel passage.  The hiding away since the ages and since the
generations being placed in contrast with the words, "but now made
manifest."


Turning briefly to a few examples of the use of apo in combination, we
notice:


Apekduomai and apekdusis.-- "Having stript off the old man" (Col.
iii.9).  This "stripping off" is no work of man, it looks back to the
sacrifice of Calvary, for the very same word is used in Col. ii.15,
translated "spoiled."  Nor is this all, not only is the glorious truth
of the new creation connected with the triumphant putting off of
principalities and powers, but Col. ii.11 declares that in the death of
Christ we are circumcised with a circumcision not made with hands "in
the stripping off of the body of the flesh in the circumcision of
Christ."


Apokalupto and apokalupsis.-- This word, which gives us the title of
the last book of the Bible, the Apocalypse, indicates the removal of a
veil.  The early occurrences of apokalupto (Matt. x.26, xi.25, 27 and
xvi.17) testify to the fact that revelation is not a process of
reasoning, study or foresight, but, as the contexts of such passages as
I Cor. ii.10 Gal. i.16 and Phil. iii.15 declare, it is entirely the
work of God.  The first clause of the first recorded prayer of the
Lord's prisoner was for "a spirit of wisdom and unveiling" (Eph. i.17).
 The "revelation of the Lord Jesus Christ" was the hope during that
period covered by the "Acts" (I Cor. i.7), and of the dispersion (I
Pet. i.7) "the appearing."  This deferred hope of Israel will take
place as indicated and described in the book of the Revelation "when
the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven in flaming fire, taking
vengeance."  The word is never used of the hope of the church in the
prison epistles.


Further, unless the book of the Revelation has been sadly mis- named,
the orthodox interpretation must give place to something more worthy of
the title.  No book seems to have been so enveloped in mystery by
tradition as this book, which purports to be an "unveiling."


Aphiemi.-- This word means to send away or dismiss, Matt. xiii.36; to
give up the life, Matt. xxvii.50; to put away, as in divorce, I Cor.
vii.11.  How striking is the force of this complete dismissal and
divorcement when we remember that this word is translated in the A.V.
47 times by the word "forgive," e.g., Rom. iv.7, 1 John i.9; ii.12.


Aphesis.-- This related word is rendered in the A.V. by "deliverance,"
once, "forgiveness," six times, "liberty," once, and "remission," nine
times.  Thanks be to God for the complete separation from our sin, its
defilement and its curse taught by the little word apo.


The reader should examine such words as apostasia, apoluo, apokeima,
apokathistemi, apostello, etc.  The epistles particularly should be
studied, and the bearing of apo upon doctrine, practice and hope
carefully noted.